Catcher



Sept. 4, 1934. w. A. lRvlN ET Al. l 1,972,343

CATCHER Filed April 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 li Ll l. u @aff/f Patented Sept. 4, 1934 CATCHER William A. Irvin, New York, N. Y.. and Claude A.

Bollinger, New Castle, Pa., assignors to American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application' April 9, 1932, Serial No. 604,306

7 Claims.

This invention relates to catchers for sheet mills, one of the objects being to return sheets discharged from a mill so that theroller may pass them through again. Other objects will be 5 understood from the following disclosure.

Having reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a specific formof the invention:

`Figure 1 is a side elevation.

l Figure 2 is an end elevation.

These drawings show, a sheet rolling mill 1 with an endless chain 2 running vertically adjacent its discharging side. This endless chain runs on a pair of sprockets 3 and is driven by l5 an electric motor 4 through a gear reduction unit 5, which is geared to the top sprocket by a chain 6, the whole being carried on aframe '1.

A plurality of trays 8 are carried by the chain 2 on pivoted arms 9 and 10, the arms 10 having downwardly inclined extensions 11. Rollerended levers 12 are fulcrumed on the arms .9 and are pivotally fixed to stub arms 13 depending :from the trays 8. 'Ihese trays are urged into practically horizontal positions by springs 14, and a cam surface 15 is interposed in the path of travel of the roller-ended arms 12. This cam surface is inclined towards the trays, so that as the roller. ends of the arms 12 ride thereover they will be pushed forward and tilt the trays. A conveyer 16 is arranged to carry sheets dis. charged from the mill 1 to a point in the path of travel of the trays 8 and a limit switch 17 may be positioned so that when arranged in circuit with the motor 4 the trays will automatically be stopped at a point slightly below the end of the conveyer 16. This limit switchis shown operated by rollers 18 ilxed on the chain 2 at appropriate points. When this limit switch has stopped the motor it may be restarted when desired by means of a foot-treadle operated switch 19 arranged at a position convenient for the roller. The various circuits which might be used to connect the switches 17 and 19 with the motor 4 are not shown because it is obvious that any mechanic might accomplish this according to his fancy. k When the roller has fed a sheet through the mill 1 and it has been discharged and carried by the conveyer 16 to a point above one of the 5o trays 8 he steps on the treadle operated switch 19 and starts the motor 4. This causes one of the trays 8 to engage this sheet andlift it'to a point above the top roll of the mill 1. This mill has a. guide 20 which starts the sheet placed upon it over the top of the rolls. When the tray (ci. sof-47) reaches this elevated point the lever 12 is pushed forward by its roller end riding over the surface 15 and the sheet slides oi and onto the guide 20, the extension 11 aiding in guiding its travel. When the plate hits the guide 20 it has auflicient momentum to` slide therealong onto the top roll of the mill 1 where the rotation of this roll will carry it towards the roller who may engage it with his tongs and start it through the mill for another pass.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen --that applicant provides a very simple, inexpensive and effective elevating means located in rear and clear of the rear sides of the rolls of the mill and extending from below the elevation of the lower roll to an elevation above that of the upper roll, and then employs discharge conveying means 16 to convey a work piece from the discharge side of the rolls to a position in rear and clear of the rolls and into the upward path of the vertically disposed conveyor means so that the work may be picked up by the latter and lifted in a straight vertical direction to an elevation above that of the upper roll, where the tray, which is carrying the work piece, is tilted downwardly and towards the mill so as to discharge a work piece carried thereby downwardly upon the return conveyor 20 in order that the work piece may be led across the top of the upper roll into a position where the attendant may pick up the work piece and start it through the mill'for another pass.

Although a specific form of this catcher `has been shown and described in accordance with the patent statutes, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention exactly thereto, except as dened by the following claims.

Weclaim: t

1. In combination with a sheet mill, an endless chain running vertically adjacent the discharge side of said mill, a plurality of trays on said chain, a conveyer arranged fory carrying sheets discharged from said mill to a point in the line of movement of said trays, a guide for starting sheets over said mill in a direction opposite their roll-` ingpass,meansformovingsaidchainsothatany one of said trays below said point may engage and elevate a sheet thereat to a point above said gu'ideandmeans for tiltingsaidtraystowardssaid guide when at said elevated point.

2. In combination with a sheet mill, an endless chain running vertically adjacent the discharge side of said mill, a plurality of trays pivotally carrledbysaidchainandhavlngleversconstrueted and arranged in pivotal connection therewith so that they are tilted by movement of the latter, a conveyer arranged for carrying sheets discharged from said mill to a point in line with the path of movement of said trays, a guide for starting sheets over said mill in a direction opposite their rolling pass, means for moving said chain so that any one of said trays below said point may engage and elevate a sheet thereat to a point above said guide and a cam surface in the path of said levers adjacent said elevated point for moving these levers to tray tilting position by engagement therewith.

. 3. In combination with a rolling mill, a sheet elevator comprising a vertically running endless chain, trays pivotally carried by said chain in a spring urged practically horizontal position and having depending stub arms on their sides between their pivoted points and carrying chain,

fulcrumed levers pivoted to said arms and extending back and beyond said chain, and a cam surface in the path of said levers and inclining towards said trays.

4. In combination with a sheet mill, an endless chain running vertically adiacent the discharge side of said mill, one or more trays on said chain so as to receive work discharged from said mill, means for moving said chain so as to elevate said one or more trays and means for tilting said one or more trays when elevated above said mill by movement 0I said chain..

- 5. In combination with a sheet mill, a straight vertically movingelevating means in rear of the discharge side of said mill and extending to an elevation above that of the upper roll of the mill, one or more trays associated with said elevating -means, discharge conveyor means for carrying sheets laterally away from the discharge side of the mill to a position in rear and clear of the discharge 'side of the rolls and into the upward path of travel o f the tray or trays so that the latter may receive work from'the discharge conveyor, and means for tilting said one or more trays downwardly towards said mill when elevated by the elevating means to a position above the upper roll to discharge the sheet thereon for-v wardly towards the mill so that the sheet may be returned to the front of the mill.

6. In combination, a rolling mill, work elevating means located at the discharge side of the mill in rear and clear of the rolls and extending in a substantially straight vertical direction to an elevation above that of the upper roll, said elevating means having a work receiving tray travelling in a substantially straight vertical direction, discharge conveyor means for conveying a work piece laterally away from the discharge side of the mill to a position in rear and clear of the rear sides of the rolls and into the upward path of said tray, and means for tilting said tray downwardly towards the upper roll of the mill when the tray has been elevated to a position above the elevation of said upper roll to discharge a work piece from the tray downwardly towards the top of the upper roll, and a return conveyor disposed to receive a work piece discharged from an elevated and tilted tray and to direct said work piece across the top of said upper roll from the back to the front of the mill. l

7. In combination, a rolling mill, discharge conveyor means for conveying a work piece laterally away from the rolls to a position in rear and clear of the rolls, a return conveyor at the discharge side of the mill and disposed above the elevation of the upper roll to return work from the back of the mill to the front thereof across said upper roll, and elevating means located at the discharge side of the mill in rear and clear of the rolls and extending in a substantially straight vertical direction to an elevation above that of the return convveyor and also disposed to receive work from the discharge conveyor when the latter has conveyed the work to a position in rear of the rolls and to lift the work in a substantially straight path in rear of the rolls to a position above the elevation of the return conveyor, said elevating means including means to discharge work therefrom to the return conveyor and from a position above the elevation of said return conveyor. Y

WILLIAM A. IRVIN. CLAUDE` A. BOLLINGER.

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